SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — A San Francisco federal appeals court has greenlighted a breach of contract lawsuit against Justin Timberlake as part of an ongoing dispute with an accomplished video director represented by the Dallas-based law firm Caldwell Cassady & Curry.
The December 19 decision handed down by a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit stems from claims filed by Caldwell Cassady & Curry on behalf of documentary filmmaker John Urbano in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles (John Urbano, et al. v. Justin Timberlake, et al., No. 2:22-cv-04512).
The case focuses on a documentary that Mr. Urbano and Mr. Timberlake agreed to create to promote the entertainer’s 2013 album The 20/20 Experience. Under the agreement, the film’s financial proceeds would be divided between both parties, according to the lawsuit.
As sales for The 20/20 Experience album skyrocketed, Mr. Timberlake made no effort to market the documentary and, according to the lawsuit, eventually disavowed ever having made an agreement with Mr. Urbano. The documentary has never been released, and Mr. Urbano has asked for a jury to determine any potential financial damages, as well as who owns the documentary and copyrights to the footage.
The lawsuit led by Caldwell Cassady & Curry includes claims against Mr. Timberlake for breach of contract, breach of joint venture agreement, breach of good faith and fair dealing, and copyright ownership.
The recent order upholds an earlier ruling from the trial court denying Mr. Timberlake’s argument to be removed from the case based on California law protecting free speech rights. In the decision, the Ninth Circuit panel found that “Mr. Timberlake is incorrect.” It went on to explain that his statements “do not constitute protected speech.”
Caldwell Cassady & Curry represents companies and individuals in high-stakes civil litigation, including patent infringement cases, trade secrets claims, fiduciary duty cases, class actions, and disputes involving company founders. The firm has tried and won some of the nation’s top verdicts against the largest companies in the world. Learn more about the firm at www.caldwellcc.com.
SOURCE Caldwell Cassady & Curry
